La Música Para Usted

It's been one of those weeks where you're never home and everything seems to pile up. The kind of week where bills need to be paid, time to get prepared to go back to school and endless amounts of family shindigs. But now that's all over, family have gone back to Morocco and Brisbane and school has begun. So no excuse to put of blogging, my dear readers. As I write this I am incredibly hungry, incredibly broke and somewhat grumpy, so excuse if I come across at more cynical and bitchy than usual - I blame the hunger pangs.

So what aimless words of ramble can I put here today? Well there is a much needed music update, for all you out there waiting to get your weekly music recommendation fix. I also have other random things to mention, photos to show and tidbits to remark on, some raving, some ranting and assorted other gems of sentences. In time, lovelies, in time I shall get round to putting them all up here for your viewing pleasure. Don't worry, I gots dem all figure out in my head, like.

Firstly though.... the music!

For starters I have to outline why my choices are as below this week. Well, I got myself a ticket to see Lisa Gerrard in concert, so I'm on a Lisa Gerrard kick for now. For those who don't know her name, you probably know her music. She was one half of the world famous fantastic dark-ambient-world-infusion band called Dead Can Dance, and since their breakup 10 years ago she has been a composer of film soundtracks - like Gladiator, Ali, Whalerider and The Insider. Famous in her own right, she has one of the most haunting, mystifying, magnificent voices I have ever come across so you must understand that me getting a ticket to see her perform live has made my year! Although she is rather epic, Lisa Gerrard can soothe the soul and open the mind - or you can be like my friend and give birth while she hauntingly wails in the background. So to go along with her, I've also had this gypsy music, middle-eastern-trip hop kick for the last couple of days. I just stumbled across a label of world music called Putumayo, and boy do they have some awesome albums! What can I say, I have a fond love for gypsy music and middle eastern fused sounds (and of course vibraphones).

So....

Current Favourite Music Tracks:

Azzddine (with Bill Laswell) - Srir D'al Houbb
I stumbled across this artist about a week ago by coincidence, while trolling my way through friends MySpace profiles and was impressed. Middle Eastern influenced electronica usually comes out as some form of trance or psytrance (not my cup of tea!) but this came out as trip hop/downtempo. Azzddine is a fusion of (apparently) Moroccan sounds, such as singing, ouds (Arabian guitar with 4 strings), violins and so on, accompanied with a backing beat, filters on vocals and other assorted sounds. The rest of this album is interesting, but this song is probably my favourite. Despite what the world seems to think about arabs, Muslims, and supposed 'terrorists' - middle eastern music is flippin' awesome. (I'm biased though).

Gotan Project - Epoca
This song is famous. It's in tv ads, its been on shows, it's everywhere and stupidly got stuck in my head this week. If you hear the first 30 seconds, you'll know the song. Gotan Project are a group from Paris, France, which combine tango with beats and breaks. Not a bad mix of music, though my partner does despise this group. The piano accordion is the instrument of choice with these artists, notably being one of the main instruments used. Not in a cheesy way though, thankfully. Gotan Project is a pretty interesting mix of tango and electronica, and who doesn't love a tango, or songs in French and Spanish. It kinda reminds me of the music from 12 Monkeys....hmmm.

Lisa Gerrard - Song of Ammergin
This is the first track of Immortal Memory, an album Lisa Gerrard collaborated with Patrick Cassidy in 1998. This song is based upon the supposed first song a mortal sang on Irish land, an is sung in Gaelic (I think). I adore this song because it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up - strange but true. In fact this whole album makes my hair stand up. The ambiance created by strings is deep and haunting, which her voice floating over the top. I can see why the goths love her (well the ones who know more than new-wave). How can I describe this song... good music to accompany a vampire film? Excellent soundtrack to a Wiccan circle casting? Music to walk through a church graveyard with? Maybe... either way, you have to hear her to understand my adoration for this lovely lass.

New Order - Ceremony
This song is recently famous for being in Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006) and highlights the best of the new-wave movement in the 80's. Taken from the album Substance, more famously known for putting out hits like 'Blue Monday' and 'Bizarre Love Triangle', this song went along unnoticed in my life until recently. Maybe it was because I finally watched Marie Antoinette, or maybe because I finally understood the appeal of new-wave music. Ceremony was originally written by Joy Division, before singer Ian Curtis died, and New Order (made up of the remaining members of Joy Division) recorded it. The guitars are simple and melodic, the drums are consistent and the vocals are hidden amongst the rubble of music. And amazingly it worked fantastically with scenes of 18th century France.

Aphex Twin - Jynweythek Ylow
So another song off the Marie Antoinette soundtrack (though more famously off Aphex Twin's album Drukqs), and very unlike Aphex Twin - known for his notorious song 'Come To Daddy' . This song is calming, charming and twinkly. Unlike his other albums, Drukqs is a mix of his IDM compositions as well as piano songs, like this one. With a normal piano and a prepared piano (where objects are placed between the hammers and strings), this song reminds me of a medieval music box. It also has a dulcimer sound to it, with slight electronica qualities added. I read somewhere that Druqks was Aphex Twin's most personal album, influenced by composers such as Eric Satie - it shows.

Linn & Freddie - L.I.N.N
Swedish hip hop, what more can I say. Linn, the singer, is Sweden's version of Erykah Badu, apparently. This song is boppy, with some nice beats and what sounds like different sized bottles of water being hit. Reminds me of creeping through a cartoon monster house with a gang of hiphopsters. Ok, thats probably an obscure image but my mind works like that - the best way to describe a song is to describe the visuals it gives me. Make sense? Either way, just get this puppy and bop along with me.

Royksopp - What Else is There?
I like Royskopp, and chances are you probably know them.Their track 'Eple' plays while you install Mac OS X v 10.3. This Norwegian duo are joined by Karin Dreijer Andersson, half of the industrial act The Knife, who provides some haunting Scandinavian vocals. The song is pretty, nicely Nordic, and the video clip is pretty to watch. I don't know what more to say but their name is cool.... Royksopp, ja :)

Cibelle - Waiting
Cibelle (pronounced see-BELL-ee) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, who does lovely downtempo/lounge/chill in English and Portuguese (ooh I love Portuguese) and if you like chick singers with chilled out, relaxed music - you'll like Cibelle. This song has a nice bass line in it, with some jazzy drums and is pretty simple. Simple and pretty. What more can I say. She's delightful. This song reminds me of walking around a huge metropolis, like New York, in winter, staring up at the tall buildings. Does it do it for you?

Dj Marky & Dj Patife featuring Fernando Porto - So Ti
Brazilian drumnbass, who doesn't love it! It has guitars, Portuguese singing, a bossanova feel and a nasty drumnbass rhythm. There is a whole genre of Brazilian drumnbass, mixing bossanova in with drumnbass or samba or something else distinctly "Latino". I personally really love the Brazilian drumnbass hybrids, and it makes excellent cleaning music. And this makes great public transport traveling music, just don't bop too much during peak hour traffic.

Kronos Quartet & Taraf De Haidouks - Turceasca
Two ultimate bands combined - one of the best recognized quartets in the world and a Romanian gypsy band that has about 20+ members. And what happens when they combine? Some of the best gypsy music I've heard, hands down! Taraf De Haidouks are also more known for being Johnny Depps favourite band, and hey if they're good enough for Johnny, they're good enough for me. This song reminds me of Mr Bungle a bit, cos of its intense chaoticness that carries you through its 7 minutes of bliss. For a true gypsy experience, look for Taraf De Haidouks.


So for now I end this, but I shall returneth soon for more exciting updates on random crap :)

<3